Keith Jarrett’s iconic January 1975 performance nearly never happened. Based on a true story, Köln 75 follows the young, driven concert promoter Vera Brandes as she conceives and organises the event against all odds. From securing the venue and selling tickets to persuading Jarrett to perform when the promised Bösendorfer Imperial Grand piano is missing, Vera’s determination is tested at every turn. The film reveals the compelling and little-known story behind Jarrett’s one-hour, entirely improvised concert, which went on to become the best-selling solo jazz album in history.
The Garden Cinema View:
A defective piano, an antisocial visionary musician, and a underaged jazz aficionado are the unlikely ingredients that made the (for some) greatest performance in history possible: Keith Jarrett's Cologne concert in 1975. With a narrator drawing a parallel to the scaffolding Michelangelo used to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Köln 75 asks us to look beyond the finished masterpiece and consider the circumstances that made it possible.
Our conduit for this is the charismatic booker Vera Brandes – brought to life with bravado by Mala Emde, whose irrepressible passion is the driving force behind the entire endeavour. The film leads us through a vivacious and largely forgotten jazz scene flourishing in 1970s Cologne, crossing paths with memorable musicians along the way, among them Ronnie Scott.
Breezy, engaging, and full of affection for its subject, Köln 75 is the perfect accompaniment to a hot summer evening at The Garden Cinema.
